Sacramento daily record-union. [volume] (Sacramento [Calif.]) 1875-1891, 1887-04-18
THE TROUBLE THICKENs.

THE TROUBLE THICKENS.
A number of Eastern manufacturers and
dealers have filed a protest with the Inter
state Commerce Commission against sus-
pending the long and short haul clause in
favor of Pacific coast industries The rea-
soning of the protest is exceedingly Curl
Gus. They allege that the products of
California industries have heretofore been
carried to the first competitive point-the
Missouri river-at lower freight rate
than for intermediate points, Salt Lake for
instance. As result, the Eastern COM
petitors have been forced to meet the Pa
cific coast prices at the Missouri river, and,
as is alleged, to their exclusion. They
therefore desire to have Section of the
law enforced against the Pacific roads, that
they, the Eastern producers, may control
trade in the Mississippi valley which they
contend is theirs of geographical right.
Now it must be clear to any intelligence
that this means simply that the consumers
of these products must pay royalty to the
Eastern manufacturers. The exclusion of
California competition under the Act,
therefore, means the drawing of smart
money from consumers in the Mississippi
valley, for the. benefit of Eastern manu-
facturers.
1t may be said that if the law is en-
forced against roads from the Atlantic and
the Pacific to the Missouri, alike, that
equity is done. In sense this is true, if
the difference in distance is ignored; but
it remains that to the consumers there will
be higher charge for the products by the
lifting of the ,mpetition to common
level. But under the old rule the manu-
facturers were also upon level, the level
of competition, with the short distance in
favor of the East.
The Chicago Freight Bureau and Board
of Trade have filed petition with the
Commissioners, praying that the long and
short haul clause be not suspended in all
the region north of the Ohio and east of
the Mississippi. The reasons for this pro-
test are, that if relief be given rail-carriers
between Chicago and Buffalo, because of
the great lakes carrier competition, that
such place as Peoria might then claim,
with reason, that, as freight was being
drawn to Chicago by the competitive rate,
and as Peoria is jointly related with Chi
cago in shipments to Buffalo, it PEORIA
ought to be allowed also to meet the water
route competition by long haul low rate
while maintaining a short haul higher
rate for intermediate points. That is to
say, all products jointly tributary to the
commerce of Peoria and Chicago should
be granted the privilege of a lower rate
for the long haul
In reply to this protest we should sim
ply ask, "What of it?" Such action
would simply amount to the restoration of
the status prior to the law going into
effect, when the competitive laws of COM
merce made the rule. This, we claim, is
rs 1t should be; for there can be no statu-
tory interference with these laws which
are natural and the outcome of natural
forces, without injury to the whole current
of trade.
1t does appear that the suspension of
the long haul clause of the law for any
division of the country traversed by COM
mereial parallel lines of transportation
must carry with it the suspension of the
clause for all such lines. There can be no
equity in opening the door to one so sit
uated and closing it to another. If the
long and short haul clause is good for any,
thing, ii is good for all such carriers. and
should be enforced against all.
Were it not matter of such momen-
tous Importance, and so deeply affecting
every industrial and commercial interest.
the reader of the dispatches in these DAYS
might be amused at the apparently mex
trieable confusion into which the whole
country has been plunged by this attempt
on the part of the law-making power to
force the current of commerce out of its
channel and reverse the immutable laws
of trade.